Democratic Republic of the Congo

armed forces structure

Political and Security Environment

Background. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire, began as an authoritarian regime that depended on its armed forces for political survival. The country was run by a highly centralized government with legislative and executive powers vested in the president, who was both chief of state and head of government.  

President Mobutu Sese Seko ruled the sprawling nation for 32 years before his ouster in May 1997. Laurent...

Please log in to continue reading.

Not yet a subscriber? Take a free trial.

Military Periscope gives you easy-to-use, integrated, open-source intelligence on…

  • More than 7,500 weapons systems and platforms
  • Nearly every country's armed forces
  • Militant organizations
laptop image

Try Military Periscope free for seven days